New Zealand vs. USA: Score and Twitter Reaction for U-20 World Cup 2015

The USA dominated hosts New Zealand in their second 2015 U-20 World Cup match on Tuesday, winning 4-0 and booking their spot in the next round in the process.

An early goal from Rubio Rubin gave the team a dream start, and star midfielder Gedion Zelalem put together a sensational performance to keep the Kiwis in check.

Emerson Hyndman, Paul Arriola and another Rubin strike secured the victory for the Stars and Stripes, who have won both their matches in Group A and will battle Ukraine for the top spot in their final group-stage fixture.

Both teams came into the match needing a big performance after disappointing outings against Ukraine and Myanmar, respectively, and Kiwi star Bill Tuiloma was anxious to get started:

"

Game 2! New Zealand vs USA #whiteout #TeamNZ pic.twitter.com/kyWO4vmA3r

— Bill Tuiloma (@billtuiloma) June 1, 2015"

The hosts may have been keen to make a statement, but from the opening whistle, they were under tremendous pressure from the USA. It took Rubin just six minutes to open the scoring, converting from close range after the ball fell to him off the post.

It was unclear whether the goal was awarded to Rubin or Jamieson, per Goal's Ives Galarcep:

The early goal shocked the home crowd, and to their horror, the USA didn't take their foot off the gas. Zelalem dominated in midfield, paired with Hyndman, and Cameron Carter-Vickers was a force inside the box.

Desevio Payne drew a good save from Oliver Sail after a fantastic run down the wing, and the New Zealand stopper had to repeat his heroics when Rubin blasted on goal from the resulting corner.

Galarcep was impressed with what the Yanks were showing:

The hosts eyed the counter but couldn't even come close to Zack Steffen's goal, and soon enough, frustration started to kick in. Several cynical fouls broke up the pace of the match, and Zelalem in particular wasn't too happy about it.

Clayton Lewis was the first man to be booked, and Steffen was visibly hurt after a hard tumble just minutes later.

New Zealand started to threaten a bit more, but just as it looked as if the USA's advantage would go to waste, they struck again. Rubin worked hard to keep the ball alive before playing it to Hyndman, who converted from close range, via U.S. Soccer YNT.

With the two-goal lead, the Stars and Stripes felt comfortable just hanging back and playing out the half, and New Zealand were unable to really threaten Steffen's goal before half-time.

Compared to the sloppy 2-1 win over Myanmar, Galarcep much preferred the USA's effort against the hosts during the first half:

The USA continued to dominate during the second half, and while the team was less direct with its attacks, they did a fantastic job keeping the ball away from their opponents. This meant New Zealand couldn't actively chase goals, and every passing second brought the Stars and Stripes closer to victory.

Zelalem was every bit as impressive as he had been during the first half, and he set up Arriola with a great pass to make it 3-0. Galarcep was blown away by the young Arsenal midfielder:

Rubin took advantage of some awful defending by New Zealand to make it 4-0, and the second half quickly spiraled out of control for the hosts. The USA easily kept possession to play out the match, booking their spot in the next round in the process.

After the abysmal showing against Myanmar, which ultimately finished 2-1 in favour of the USA, the Stars and Stripes showed exactly why fans have such high hopes for this side against New Zealand. Defensively, the squad looked incredibly solid, allowing the midfielders to focus on distributing the ball and setting up their team-mates for success.

If the side can play like this against Ukraine, they have to fancy their chances of grabbing a result and winning Group A. A draw will suffice, as the Ukrainians played out a 0-0 draw against New Zealand in their first match.

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